No More Goodbyes, AU
by dh1031
Summary: Both Chloe and Clark discover one's destiny doesn't mean turning your back on the ones you love. Note; this is a sequel to "Goodbye, AU"


**Title:** No More Goodbyes, AU

**Summary:** Both Chloe and Clark discover one's destiny doesn't mean turning your back on the ones you love. Note; this is a sequel to "Goodbye, AU"; and it is in no way connected to "Look To Your Heart" or "Guise of the Prodigal Son". Warning, a fluff-filled ending follows!

**Author:** dh1031

**Edited by:** 13ReporterGirl13 (thanks a million!)

**Pairings:** Clark and Chloe

**Rating:** K+ (basically nothing more than what's appeared on Smallville will be depicted here). Moderators, please let me know if there is anything here than merits this story being moved, and feel free to make any changes you deem necessary. Feedback is always much appreciated!

How long had it been, he wasn't even sure, one of the things about training in the fortress was that Clark tended to lose track of time. Yet despite the vast amount of knowledge he was accumulating, the events that drove him to his current state remained fresh in his mind: Jimmy Olsen dead, killed by Davis Bloome.

Another life lost because of his mistake, his _human_ mistake, Clark felt certain that separating Doomsday from Davis was critical, because he'd been taught that all life was precious. However, through out the years he'd seen many lives lost, hurt, or caused irreparable damage because he'd let his human influences lead him to save the lives of others. Among the lives that had been caused harm was the woman who'd been by his side for years, Chloe Sullivan.

So, he'd committed himself to fulfilling the destiny he'd been running from for so long, to become the hero his father had intended him to be. He'd resumed the training that he'd begun years ago when the second meteor shower hit Smallville. Training which had initially been cut short when he heard Chloe calling for him. She'd somehow gotten caught in the portal that transported him from the Kawatche Caves to the fortress.

Although this time he'd made certain to preclude Chloe interrupting the training, thanks to the letter he'd left her. The letter not only put Chloe behind him but sealed away his human past as well, thus cementing in his mind that Clark Kent was dead – only Kal-El remained. At least that's what he kept telling himself.

Jor-El, on the other hand, was not completely convinced of his son's departure from his humanity. In order to satiate the A.I.'s skepticism of his decision, Clark would routinely leave the fortress to complete assignments Jor-El had planned for him. Over the past several weeks he'd saw to numerous disasters; everything from armed robberies to train derailments. Each time Clark saw to one of these trials, he approached them in a calculated manner – he looked at what needed to be done to resolve the threat posed to the masses – he did not regard who may be there that he knew or that was calling to be helped individually. No, seeing to individuals that needed attention after the primary threat had been averted was the job of first responders, _human_ heroes, not him.

In Clark's estimate, he'd convinced the A.I. that he really had turned his back on humanity, because the specific trails given to him that required him to leave the fortress had diminished. At this point Clark would only leave the fortress on his own recognizance and patrol Metropolis to further prove his dedication to Jor-El's plan for him. The rest of the time he relegated himself to the fortress, where he was enveloped by Kryptonian teachings. These same teachings surrounded him even now, yet despite his self-discipline and efforts to prove otherwise to Jor-El; he caught himself wondering – wondering about the one he'd written goodbye.

Chloe put down the letter Clark left her for, what was it now, she'd lost count of how many times she'd read the letter. Why did she keep doing this to herself? Chloe chided herself for the umpteenth time for feeling the way she did; after all she'd been the chief cheerleader in telling Clark he had to pursue his destiny.

It's not like she was an outsider making this assessment, she'd been Woodward to his Bernstein for years – she knew Clark better than anyone. So why did she feel like Clark was making a huge mistake in how he was going about pursuing his destiny?

Who was she kidding; she knew why she was so upset. Clark's training at the fortress would prepare him to be the hero the world needed. However, Clark's plan to renounce the lessons he'd learned up to now would hinder, not help, his training. Chloe was sure Jor-El understood the same as she did, why else had he helped her and Clark's adoptive parents over the years? If Jor-El wanted Clark stripped of his humanity, why help those that tied him to it, when he had so many occasions to severe their connections completely. No, she may be only human, but Chloe was sure she understood what Jor-El was putting Clark through better than he did.

Yet Chloe felt Jor-El would not be forthright in telling Clark what his true agenda was. Given his track record of putting Clark through the trials that he had to this point, Chloe reasoned that Jor-El wanted Clark to be the one to see what was happening. Sighing, Chloe shook her head; Clark himself had learned time and again that people shape their own destiny. Chloe felt, in her own way, that she was reinforcing this by having taken up the mantle of _Watchtower_ to help in fight the good fight.

However, in her opinion, Clark had in effect given up trying to do that and was, instead, relying on Jor-El to define his path for him. And if she was right, Clark would be forever waiting on that destiny to be explained because Jor-El was stubborn enough to watch his son beat his head against the proverbial wall to understand the lesson.

"Ugh!" She cried out loud in frustration, for a being that was supposed to be so advanced, sometimes Clark really dumbfounded her. Why was it that she kept mulling over these same points? Every time she did, she just came up with the same conclusion. Closing her eyes, Chloe leaned back in the chair at her station in watchtower, and took a breath to calm herself down. Then she leaned forward, retrieved the document from her desk and reread parts of the letter again:

'_I still remember your reaction when you let me read the letter you'd wrote me back in high school. Back then I put on a face that said I was okay with the fact that you were moving on with your life, and ever since I've kept up that same demeanor. Yet, I've always known, deep down, that I was kidding myself... It's because of you that I've been able to accomplish things that I never would have been able to, and I love you for that.'_

"That's why I keep doing this…" She sets the document back on her desk and regards it as though it were the most precious item ever given to her. "I love you too, Clark." With that Chloe left watchtower, made a quick change into winter attire, picked-up the Kryptonian key from the farm, and made her way past Miller's Bend to the Kawatche Caves.

Within the fortress, the swirling Kryptonian symbols encircling Clark alter his surroundings, instantly he finds himself atop the Statue of Liberty. Briefly taking in the environment around him, all the while knowing it's merely a simulation; Clark takes a breath and leaps from the statue. Trying to recall exactly what went through his mind all those years ago when he last felt himself 'fly' within a tornado.

However, his attempts to level out from his freefall are to no avail and the ground continues rushing towards him. Yet just before he crashes into the grassy knoll below, Clark finds himself standing back in the center of the fortress.

"Jor-El, isn't it about time we moved past these mind trials?"

"They are necessary to center your focus; your distractions are keeping you tethered from making further progress."

"The only thing that's keeping me tethered is my inability to fly, haven't I earned the same abilities Kara has?"

"Your abilities lie inside you Kal-El; your physical composition is no different than that of your cousin, Kara."

"So you're saying this is all some kind of psychological impediment?"

"My son, you persist in failing to give up that…"

"You're wrong! I've given up everyone I care about, everything that was important to me. I've gone so far as to wear the symbol of our Kryptonian family as a daily reminder that I face a different destiny."

"Kal-El, your resolve is strong, but just as your passion will be your greatest asset; so will it be your greatest obstruction."

"Jimmy, my dad, the baby my mom was pregnant with all those years ago, and others have died because of me. I cannot afford to allow mistakes like these to happen again. You sent me here to realize my destiny, tell me what you want from me."

"Maybe he's already told you what you need to do Clark. Maybe you see what you've got to do and you're just afraid to take that step."

Clark turns around at the sound of a voice that he'd know anywhere, a voice that he did not expect to hear for a long time.

"Chloe…what are you doing here?"

"Nice to see you too, you're looking well…especially for someone who's supposedly dead."

"Yeah…about that, look Chloe…"

"Clark…I…I read the letter. Actually, that's an understatement; I've read and re-read the letter so often I've lost count."

"Then you know you can't be here, I have to finish this, when it's done…I'll find you."

"Yeah, well, from the sound of how things are going that's gonna be a lot later than sooner. I overheard what Jor-El told you as I got here." Chloe moves to close the distance between them, stopping just a couple of feet in front of Clark. "I, just about as well as anyone, understand your need to punish yourself for your mistakes."

"Chloe…"

"Clark, please let me finish. Look, I get that this is more about punishing yourself, even more than about carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders. You think that cementing yourself inside an alien shell, a false persona; will somehow demonstrate your resolution to following destiny."

"Chloe, what else can I do? Just look at what's happened in the past few years? Every time I've turned away from what Jor-El has told me to do people have gotten hurt. And more often than not, it's the people closest to me that get hurt, people I care about…" Clark moves closer to Chloe, thoughtfully cups her cheek, slowly letting his hand drop away, and with his voice just above a whisper finishes his statement, "the one I love."

Chloe, feeling his sense of frustration and hurt, reaches out and takes Clark's hands in her own. "Clark, everyone gets hurt in life – that's a given – it's how we process the pain, and move on with our lives that makes us stronger. You talk about everything that's happened with Jor-El's trials, looking back at them what was the common element that led to their resolution?"

Clark's brows furrowed at this inquiry, and after thinking about it for a few moments, shook his head in uncertainty. "Your _humanity_, think about it, you've been raised as one of us, and your Kryptonian heritage and abilities, don't change that…they just add to it. You care, not just for those you are close to and love, but for everyone. As long as I've known you, you've done all you could to help people."

Clark looked down and sighed, letting out a breath that he'd been holding until Chloe's explanation was finished. However, the tenacious blond was far from done with her exposition, and her voice brought Clark's head back up to look at her.

"Your caring pushed you to help, even on the occasions where you've been without your abilities. And on those occasions you succeeded in resolving the trials that Jor-El had set before you."

Clark gave her a small, loving grin, "I know Chloe but all those times you're talking about I had help."

Chloe let go of his hands, literally stood on his feet, and put her arms around him. "Exactly, Jor-El and Lara sent you here because of the support structure they knew you'd have around you. Clark, you learned just how much Jor-El thought of and respected humanity from the journal he left behind in the Kawatche Caves. Although Jor-El possessed all those abilities, look at how much Hirum helped Jor-El during his time here."

Chloe paused but saw no noticeable reaction from Clark so she tried another example. "Clark, what about your mom, remember when the plane she and Lois were in crashed near the fortress? She made her way here and Jor-El explained to her what happened to you, what had to be done to stop Zod, and returned them to Smallville."

"Yeah, I remember, thankfully Lois mistook the entire event for some kind of after death experience. Mom told me she gave the dagger to Lana because she insisted she could get close to Zod, and I found her knocked unconscious when I made it back and tracked Zod to the mansion. What are you getting at Chloe?"

"Didn't your mom tell you what Jor-El also told her while they were here?"

"Nothing more than what we've discussed, why?"

"Clark, it makes the same case for what I've been telling you since I got here. Jor-El told her, and I quote '_Everything you've done for Kal-El - you have my deepest gratitude. I couldn't have wished for a brighter light to guide my son._' Clark, you have to embrace one of the strongest assets Jor-El entrusted to you, not cut yourself off from it, if you're going to take flight."

Clark acutely regarded the blond before him, her words eliciting a gambit of emotions that he did not know how to express in words. So, he did the only thing he could think of, he closed the short distance between the two of them and kissed her. Momentarily dazed by his actions, Chloe was slow to respond, but seconds later she was kissing him back.

Feeling her react favorably to his action, Clark poured all the emotions that were raging through him into the kiss and held on to her as though his life depended on it. Chloe was not oblivious to this fact. She and Clark had a long history of being able to convey emotions through mechanisms other than speaking, and she could sense the intensity; the myriad of feelings coursing through the kiss.

When the kiss subsided, Clark moved his head up and ever so softly kissed her forehead. He then leaned down and rested his head against hers, both had their eyes shut and one waited for the other to speak; all was silent around them.

Chloe was the first to notice the quietness of their environment, and though content to let the complexity of what had just passed process, she was a little unsettled at just how quiet things were. So, Chloe opened her eyes and looked around, and what she saw made her break the silence that enveloped them.

"Clark!"

Hearing the intense surprise that Chloe's voice held, Clark opened his eyes and was stunned. Instead of the familiar pillars that comprised the fortress, he saw nothing but blue sky and clouds. Turning his head to look down, Clark saw the fortress just a few feet below him. Instantly he turned his head back to Chloe, not knowing what her reaction to their new situation would be (especially since he was still processing it), and found her grinning ear-to-ear.

"Are you okay Chloe?"

"I'm fine Clark; I think the real question is, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm good; in fact…I think this is the best I've been in a long time. I've spent so much time trying to put my humanity behind me, devoting myself to my alien heritage in order to pursue my destiny, that I couldn't see what Jor-El's recent trials have been pushing me back to.

Thank you, thank you for helping me see that trying to purge my human side was what was holding me back. It's funny when you think about it…with all these abilities I couldn't see what was right in front of me."

The smile that was on Clark's face fell and he continued before Chloe could reply, with a somber tone in his voice. "I'm so sorry Chloe, that's another time I've missed what's been right in front of me…what's so important to me…I…"

"Clark, don't do that, listen I know what kind of pressure you put yourself under. You feel this unending need to bear the weight of the world on your shoulders, and that's part of what makes you the hero you are. At the same time you have to remember that not even someone with all your abilities can do everything, and be everywhere, at once. Remember what I once told you, there are others out there that want to help you; sometimes even the greatest of heroes need to be saved."

A smile returned to Clark's face as he warmly caressed her face. "You're right Chloe but it doesn't excuse the way I left things between us. I know you've told me…showed me…more than once that no matter what side of nature or nurture is winning out…you're here. I owed you more than just a goodbye letter, it's just after all that had happened…this was the only way I could see to keep from causing you any more pain."

Chloe leaned her head against his chest, closed her eyes, and sighed mutely as she gathered her thoughts. Then moving her head back to look him in the eye, she spoke, "Clark…as someone that took the route of writing down their feelings as a means of avoiding emotional intimacy, I can't condemn you for leaving me with a letter. Besides, it left the possibility of seeing you again, and just that chance, and being able to tell you all this outweighed any pain you blame yourself for."

"Chloe, I'm not sure what to say…if you'll let me, I promise you this…that letter…that goodbye; it was…and is…the last goodbye for us."

Chloe studied his face for a moment, absorbing the serious, staid, yet hopeful look his eyes conveyed. Then she gave him a knowing grin that he'd seen a million times, but this time it was like he was seeing it for the first time. And just as she leaned up to kiss him she said, "You've got a deal…no more goodbyes."


End file.
